Lickpennies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. People who are excessively frugal with money ; those known for being stingy or miserly in financial matters
2. Individuals characterized by tightfistedness with their finances ; those who habitually hoard or grudgingly spend money
3. Persons distinguished by a reluctance to part with their wealth ; people notorious for penny-pinching or extreme thriftiness

Etymology: "Lickpenny" is a compound of "lick" and "penny," and the sense is literal: a lickpenny was someone who "licks up" pennies, grasping at every coin. The noun "lickpennies," as used here, is simply the plural of "lickpenny," meaning a very stingy or grasping person. The word's history is plain. "Lick" in the sense of taking or snatching quickly, as in "lick up," gave the compound its sense of greedy, money-hungry behaviour, while "penny," the small coin, supplied the object. The pattern is transparent, which is why the word reads so vividly even to a modern speaker. It is a straightforward English compound with no borrowed parts and no rival origins to weigh.

Synonyms: miser, penny pincher, cheapskate, tightwad, scrooge

Antonyms: spender, generous person, philanthropist